1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collapsible trailer apparatus and methods of use and more particularly to a boat trailer having a boat storage space below a rigid frame. The boat trailer may also be collapsible and can be used to transport boats of varying sizes and shapes between lakes and camps without the need to empty the boat of any contents. The collapsible boat trailer can be broken down into a plurality of smaller components that are readily stored and transported. The present invention also particularly pertains to a boat trailer apparatus which may be collapsible and which is uniquely suited for short distance motorized vehicle towing. The collapsible boat trailer apparatus can be quickly disassembled without the use of bulky and/or numerous tools into lightweight sub-components for convenient storage and transport.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Since the advent of the motorized vehicle, sportsmen and recreational boat users have oftentimes desired a convenient and mechanically simple apparatus to transport a boat from place to place. To meet this need, numerous boat trailers have been invented, manufactured, and sold to the general public which provide means for the motorized transport of a boat. Thus, the use of boat transport trailers is well known in the art.
Historically these boat transport trailers have been little more than wheeled support platforms upon which a boat was placed and hauled from one location to another. Although there have been countless different wheeled support platforms, most, if not all, consist basically of familiar and obvious structural configurations. Typically these structural configurations consist of two wheels, a frame, and a placement and/or locking mechanism which holds the boat hull and provides stability to the boat when the wheeled support platform is in use. Depending on whether the boat hull was a v- or tri-hull, the placement and locking mechanism could consist of two or more members, oftentimes covered with rubber or outdoor carpeting to protect the hull from contact with these placement and/or locking members.
When using these wheeled platforms, the task of placing the boat on top of the trailer is cumbersome, requires the operator to immerse themselves at least partially in the water, and also necessitates deft maneuvering of both the motorized vehicle and the bow of the boat. Oftentimes, operators have to engage in successive attempts to place the boat and wheeled platform in proper alignment. This alignment procedure is fraught with difficulties and is, in most cases, nothing more than an exercise in trial and error.
Storage of these wheeled support platforms is also cumbersome and can be quite financially taxing due to their bulky size and shape. The wheeled support platforms require extensive maintenance and cannot be subjected to prolonged exposure to the atmosphere and during the off-season, most users are required to find suitable indoor storage for the wheeled support platforms.
The present invention is directed to a unique and novel boat trailer especially suited for towing a small and lightweight recreational boat thereunder, although the present invention may also be used with any size, shape, or weight of boat. The present invention is also useful in that the boat does not have to be emptied of its contents during transport. Thus, the present invention does not require the user to exert substantial energy, skill, or effort in towing the boat small distances between lakes and/or rivers.
The present invention also includes a collapsible boat trailer superior to known collapsible boat trailers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,083 to Mally discloses a collapsible boat trailer which may be collapsed for storage and/or shipment and which may be used to tow a small, lightweight boat short distances. The Mally boat trailer, however, discloses that the boat be placed on top of the trailer and thereby requires tremendous effort of the user to coax the boat upon the trailer. Furthermore, the Mally boat trailer does not provide a secure means for securing the boat to the trailer. A boat which is placed upon the Mally trailer is prone to shift into incorrect alignment and/or weight distribution, resulting in substantial damage to any boat placed upon the Mally trailer.
The prior art also discloses U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,830 to Hardwick which discloses a foldable boat trailer which may be collapsed for storage or shipment and which may be used to suspend a boat thereunder for transporting a boat from one location to another. The boat trailer disclosed in Hardwick, however, awkwardly places the wheels in the center of the trailer, thereby skewing the balance and weight distribution of a boat suspended thereunder. A boat suspended from the Hardwick trailer would have a tendency to fall forward or rearward and would not be substantially stable at higher speeds of towing. Indeed, the Hardwick trailer is especially suited for such forward and rearward tilt due to its intended use for long, slender sailing craft. Furthermore, the disclosure does not show a way to positively secure and cradle the boat to the trailer for safe and effective towing behind a vehicle.
The prior art also discloses folding and foldable trailers as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,316 to Wright, U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,008 to Modddejonge, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,073 to Harper. While these devices fulfill their respective and particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a boat trailer wherein the boat is suspended from the trailer in such a manner that the contents of the boat do not have to be removed prior to the boat being towed. Furthermore, none of the boat trailers of the prior art disclose a boat trailer that is easily maneuverable and quickly assembled with none or few tools and which can be adapted to a variety of boat structures and sizes.
In this respect, the boat trailer of the present invention substantially departs from the prior art boat trailer apparatuses as well as conventional boat trailer structure and design. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a need for a lightweight boat trailer apparatus which can be used to transport a multitude of boat structures and sizes.
It is also an object of the present invention, to provide a collapsible boat trailer that is easily articulated without the need for substantial use of tools and which can be easily manipulated and articulated by a user in a recreational setting as well as methods of use.
Thus, the present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of components and method steps with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, a minimum amount of user interaction, and at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials. These and other objects, purposes, and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in light of the specification, drawings, and claims appended hereto.
The present invention is defined by the appended claims with the specific embodiments shown in the attached drawings. For the purpose of summarizing the invention, without limiting the invention to such a summary, the invention can be described as a collapsible boat trailer apparatus for towing a boat wherein the boat is suspended from the trailer apparatus and wherein further the trailer apparatus is readily collapsible into several sub-components in a manner requiring few if any tools.
The present invention more particularly relates to a collapsible trailer apparatus and methods of use and even more particularly to a boat trailer having a boat storage space below a rigid frame. The boat trailer may also be collapsible and can be used to transport boats of varying sizes and shapes between lakes and camps without the need to empty the boat of any contents. The collapsible boat trailer can be broken down into a plurality of smaller components that are readily stored and transported. The present invention also particularly pertains to a boat trailer apparatus which may be collapsible and which is uniquely suited for short distance motorized vehicle towing. The collapsible boat trailer apparatus can be quickly disassembled without the use of bulky and/or numerous tools into lightweight sub-components for convenient storage and transport.